Somewhere Over the Border
By Brian Quijada
Co-Orchestrations by Yendrya Cespedes and Julián Mesri
Co-Vocal Arrangements by Julián Mesri and Brian Quijada
Directed by Laura Alcalá Baker
Music Direction by Michael Meketa Sanchez
People’s Light and Theatre Company
July 17 - August 11
Scenic Design: Chelsea M Warren
Lighting Design: Cat Wilson
Costume Design: Damien Dominguez
Video Design: Joe Spinogatti
About the Play
As the allure of the American Dream beckons, Reina Quijada travels along a very different yellow brick road from El Salvador to the United States. Along the way, she makes friends, dodges imminent danger, and searches for the almighty "wizard" in this nod to Oz. With onstage musicians weaving together cumbia, Mexican mariachi, boleros, American rock, and hip hop, up-and-coming writer and composer Brian Quijada honors his mother in a fantastically true tale of determination, family, and friendship.
The Sound Design
This ended up being my fourth of four productions of Somewhere Over the Border in a row, and it was the one that solidified this show as an all-time favorite. I had the opportunity to design the rolling world premiere on its last stop in Chicago, which led me to this co-production, with stops in Pittsburgh at City Theatre and Malvern at People’s Light and Theatre Co. As with any musical, the major component of the sound design was balancing vocals to band while making sure everyone—actors, audience, and musicians—can hear what they need to. Some challenges unique to this show: A high-energy, bardic narrator (Arusí Santi) accompanying himself on the guitar, moving between both actor and musician; a live, 4-musician band onstage that has to move between dozens of musical styles, from cumbía to tango to rock to hip-hop; and a soundscape that had to feel real and lived in, but still support the heightened language of a musical. Oh, and it all had to be done in a 300-seat theatre.